The opening night of a Cirque du Soleil show is usually the hottest ticket in town and judging by the throng of sports stars, models, radio hosts and reality TV stars on Friday night, nobody turned down the chance to enter the "grand chapiteau".
While the people watching at such events is often as entertaining as the show itself, it's a difficult feat to achieve when every sense is captivated.
And that attention to detail, despite the claims of rival circus troupes, is what makes Cirque du Soleil inimitable.
No stressed cashiers or grumpy ushers here, just seamless, cheerful service which is sometimes missing on a hectic opening night.
A performer defies gravity in Cirque du Soleil’s Totem.
Unless you're a Perthonality or a reviewer, even the cheapest tickets will set you back $80 a pop and for that, you expect a world-class show.
Like the previous seven times Cirque du Soleil has been to Perth, that's exactly what you get – jaw-dropping feats of athleticism and elegance, punctuated with (mostly) family-friendly comedy.
There were a few moments where physics got the better of the performers, but it only added to the excitement when the superhuman feats were pulled off.
This show, Totem, is structured around a central theme exploring humanity, evolution and spirituality, drawing on elements of indigenous cultures.
As always, the live band was mind-blowingly good, but the often-overlooked trio of staging, lighting and costuming brought the experience to a whole new level.
I mean, why settle for a mirror ball when you can sew 4000 mirror beads onto a costume and have a man descend from the roof to strike the set between acts?
After such a rich, sensory experience, the walk through the stark, grey carpark afterwards was a cold hit of reality. Well… almost.
"Did you enjoy the show?" asked a uncharacteristically chirpy traffic attendant.
"It was bloody brilliant," I replied.
Cirque du Soleil's Totem will be staged at Belmont Park Racecourse until 27 September.